Writing – Cassandra Sky West

Doing what you Love

November 6, 2016 CSW Comments 0 Comment

There is something undefinable about doing what you love. I used to think to do what you love meant hobbies and extracurricular activities. Playing games on the weekend, seeing movies, reading books, etc. The rest of the time you did what you had to do. Then I started seriously writing. A year ago today, I was half way through Blood Sacrifice thinking I might not finish it. Who was I to be a writer? Spoiler alert: I did finish it. Both With the Dawn and Blood Sacrifice have been a fantastic success for me. I’m not about to roll out of here on my private boat, but it is going to be more than enough to keep me writing. Probably for the rest of my life. Well, as long as I keep releasing books.

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Yesterday With the Dawn went on a Kindle Fire sale. It is where people who own a Kindle Fire can buy books at a discount. Going into the sale I was nervous. What if it didn’t perform? What if my ranking didn’t move? What if it went down? Within an hour of the sale, a sale which included hundreds of books, I was under a thousand. An hour later I hit 400, then 180, 160, and finally 120. My author rank also shot way up and for a few glorious moments, I was the twenty-fifth best-selling author on in Fantasy on Amazon. Nearly 24 hours later and my ranking is still hovering under 500. I guess people like Alexi and Savanna. I’m glad and I hope they continue to like them as I release more books. I can’t tell you I will never end the series, but I don’t see that in the future yet.

All the best,

-Cassy

PS. Don’t forget to sign-up for my mailing list! Everyone who signs up receives a free story with Alexi, Savanna, and Victor called, By Silver Light. Sign up form is on the right side of the page.

My Journey with Kindle Scout

June 13, 2016 CSW Comments 0 Comment

The idea of Kindle Scout is not only interesting, but unique in an industry that shuns change. Publishing stagnated for years until Amazon came along and shook things up. To an author like myself, who has sold short stories and novellas, but never a book, this is a godsend. You see, urban fantasy is a bit of a wasteland in the traditional world of publishing. Each publisher has two or three authors that write UF, and that’s it. Readers, however, want to read more than a few titles a year. This is the beauty of Amazon. They get out of the way of the writers and let them reach their readers.

I love writing, and for years I’ve been selling stories to magazines around the world. It was only last year that my best friend convinced me that if I could sell to magazines, I could cut out the middle man and sell for myself. Now, my first thought was to try and land a publishing contract, but the absurdity of trading one middle man for another almost made me laugh.

Kindle Scout is a trademark of Amazon.com

Kindle Scout presents an opportunity for me to do two things: one, show off my work to people who’ve never heard of me (i.e. everyone but my friends and family). Two, regardless of whether Amazon selects me, this is a win, and all it cost me is a little time. Of course the dream is for Amazon to pick me up, but if they don’t, I anticipate this boosting my visibility enough to help my initial sales.

Ultimately, I won’t be able to make the final decision on if this was a good choice until it’s done. I hope in thirty days I can announce, in this same space, that I’m published.

With the Dawn is live on Scout!

June 12, 2016 CSW Comments 0 Comment

I’m excited to announce my debut novel, With the Dawn, is now available to nominate on Kindle Scout. Kindle Scout is a fantastic program that allows new authors and old, a chance for visibility, and winning a slot (through merit) with the Kindle Scout imprint. I have thirty days to secure as many nominations as I can. In that time, if I receive enough, the editors at Kindle Scout will review my manuscript and I will have a chance to be published by Amazon’s imprint. I see this as a win/win regardless of the outcome. Kindle Scout will give With the Dawn a lot of visibility along with the series, Faith of the Fallen, as a whole. I love these characters and the world, and I am thrilled to share them with you all. Thirty days from now I hope to announce that I’ve been published. Please share this campaign with as many friends as you can, and let them know about this exciting new urban fantasy. As a bonus for nominating me, if I succeed, you will receive a free copy of the book! Thank you for your time and support.

-Cassy

Alexi Creed needs to know who murdered her, and why. When she wakes up with no memory of her previous life, the only clue she has is a sudden, undeniable thirst for human blood. She finds allies in a mysterious witch with an enigmatic warning of the future, and a brooding werewolf in search of redemption. Together they must fight malevolent vampires, agents of the Arcanum, and the forces of darkness, if she is going to uncover her past and save the world from a night that will never end.

Cassandra Sky West

Urban Fantasy Author

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Tag: Writing